Much attention was paid to the Jaguars’ decision to use their second-round draft pick on a player who might need microfracture knee surgery, Myles Jack. But less attention was paid to the fact that the Jaguars’ first-round draft pick, Jalen Ramsey, has already had microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Ramsey’s past microfracture surgery wasn’t viewed as a big deal heading into the draft because it happened long ago, during his sophomore year in high school. Ramsey was healthy enough in college that he started every game in all three of his seasons at Florida State.

Still, a history of major knee surgery combined with a new injury to the same knee is not what the Jaguars would like to be talking about at the start of offseason work. When you factor in the concerns about Jack’s knee, and the fact that last year’s first-round pick, Dante Fowler, missed the entire season with a knee injury, the Jaguars must be holding their breath hoping that Ramsey’s meniscus tear proves to be a minor injury.

I continue to be of the view that Ramsey is overrated as confirmed by his lack of production at Florida State and his performance in drills at both the combine and at his pro day.

Really, no mystery here at all. The guy is a great athlete with considerable explosiveness, but his hips and agility aren't great and he lacks ball skills. Those skills are important for CBs and Ss and may well preclude Ramsey from being the elite "game changer" that many posting on this forum think he is destined to be.

Before his knee issue and notwithstanding the foregoing, I would have preferred Ramsey to Bosa. With the knee issue, it is more difficult to say.

I continue to believe that Telesco screwed the pooch by not taking Buckner, who would have been a very nice 3-4 DE for us.

This just in--notwithstanding the foregoing--Jalen Ramsey is devastated to learn that
our CC has thoroughly studied Ramsey's pelvis and environs, and found them desperately wanting.
Perceived lackluster "ball skills" are hopefully unrelated. Hard to imagine how Ramsey can soldier on,
psychologically, knowing that such an esteemed evaluator of talent sees through the Ramsey facade.

This just in--notwithstanding the foregoing--Jalen Ramsey is devastated to learn that
our CC has thoroughly studied Ramsey's pelvis and environs, and found them desperately wanting.
Perceived lackluster "ball skills" are hopefully unrelated. Hard to imagine how Ramsey can soldier on,
psychologically, knowing that such an esteemed evaluator of talent sees through the Ramsey facade.

Virtually every media pundit noted Ramsey's lack of ball skills. It is a very obvious weakness in his game. He is slow to recognize passes (though explosive to close once he does recognize them), fails to high point the ball, and has mediocre hands at best. If you can't see those things, you aren't watching very carefully.

The lack of agility is clear form his drill times and his hip issues can be seen when his film is compared to someone with elite hips like Patrick Peterson.

At the time of the combine, NFLN tried to pursue the Peterson/Ramsey comparison with the footage of one player being shown right after the other. The difference was pretty clear to the unaided eye and is supported by drill times such as the .36 seconds difference in the 3-cone drill, a difference that can be detected by simply watching without referencing the actual times. You didn't need to see the times to know that Ramsey was not as fluid. It was obvious.

Virtually every media pundit noted Ramsey's lack of ball skills. It is a very obvious weakness in his game. He is slow to recognize passes (though explosive to close once he does recognize them), fails to high point the ball, and has mediocre hands at best. If you can't see those things, you aren't watching very carefully.

The lack of agility is clear form his drill times and his hip issues can be seen when his film is compared to someone with elite hips like Patrick Peterson.

At the time of the combine, NFLN tried to pursue the Peterson/Ramsey comparison with the footage of one player being shown right after the other. The difference was pretty clear to the unaided eye and is supported by drill times such as the .36 seconds difference in the 3-cone drill, a difference that can be detected by simply watching without referencing the actual times. You didn't need to see the times to know that Ramsey was not as fluid. It was obvious.

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But, as usual, you lack perspective.

If we took the name off of your post, most people would think you were talking about a mediocre or poor player.

But hips and ball skills are all relative--Ramsey was graded as one of the best 3 players in the draft by the overwhelming
majority of "experts." Had there been reaction time, re. the Tunsil video, Ramsey would likely have graded out as THE
best player in the draft...which strongly suggests that you are exaggerating his shortcomings in an attempt to defend your position.

If we took the name off of your post, most people would think you were talking about a mediocre or poor player.

But hips and ball skills are all relative--Ramsey was graded as one of the best 3 players in the draft by the overwhelming
majority of "experts." Had there been reaction time, re. the Tunsil video, Ramsey would likely have graded out as THE
best player in the draft...which strongly suggests that you are exaggerating his shortcomings in an attempt to defend your position.

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Tell me you're not trying to reason with Chaincracker? Think of the time you could've done something more productive like...I don't know...watching paint dry.

If we took the name off of your post, most people would think you were talking about a mediocre or poor player.

But hips and ball skills are all relative--Ramsey was graded as one of the best 3 players in the draft by the overwhelming
majority of "experts." Had there been reaction time, re. the Tunsil video, Ramsey would likely have graded out as THE
best player in the draft...which strongly suggests that you are exaggerating his shortcomings in an attempt to defend your position.

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I am already on record as saying that Ramsey is the kind of player that would ordinarily be taken in the back half of the first round of an NFL draft if viewed correctly. That's my view.

Why? Ramsey is not a shutdown cover guy and he does not generate turnovers. These are the two primary traits that make a CB or S elite.

Verrett, for example, is a near shutdown cover guy. That's what makes him special. Cromartie has the ability to make INTs. Bailey showed us the ability to do both. Woodson could make INTs.

You can't waive a wand and say that only 3 INTs in 3 years at FSU with a bunch of dropped INTs means nothing. There is absolutely nothing about Ramsey that says that he is a generator of turnovers--not his FSU career and not his performance at either the combine or at his pro day.

He is like Cromartie in terms of his coverage skills and is a better tackler, but his ball skills are far worse than Cromartie's. Overall, I would rate the two players very similarly. If I had to give an edge to either player, it would be the smallest of edges to Cromartie because he has the ball skills that Ramsey lacks, which I would probably favor over the tackling (until he ducks away from tackling Shonn Greene in the playoffs).

We took Cromartie at 1/19 and that's just about where he should have gone and where Ramsey should have gone in an ordinary draft. I think it is a fair argument to say that it would be reasonable for him to have gone a little higher in this year's draft because of the weakness of the draft class.

But the reality is that media pundits got caught up in Ramsey's athleticism and lost track of his weaknesses despite virtually all of them acknowledging them. They were/are just wrong in that respect. What good is a CB or S that can't make the big INT when that play is there to be made? In that way, Ramsey's athleticism is partially wasted.

So, as I have stated all along, Ramsey would not have been a good pick for us at 1/3.

I am already on record as saying that Ramsey is the kind of player that would ordinarily be taken in the back half of the first round of an NFL draft if viewed correctly. That's my view.

Why? Ramsey is not a shutdown cover guy and he does not generate turnovers. These are the two primary traits that make a CB or S elite.

Verrett, for example, is a near shutdown cover guy. That's what makes him special. Cromartie has the ability to make INTs. Bailey showed us the ability to do both. Woodson could make INTs.

You can't waive a wand and say that only 3 INTs in 3 years at FSU with a bunch of dropped INTs means nothing. There is absolutely nothing about Ramsey that says that he is a generator of turnovers--not his FSU career and not his performance at either the combine or at his pro day.

He is like Cromartie in terms of his coverage skills and is a better tackler, but his ball skills are far worse than Cromartie's. Overall, I would rate the two players very similarly. If I had to give an edge to either player, it would be the smallest of edges to Cromartie because he has the ball skills that Ramsey lacks, which I would probably favor over the tackling (until he ducks away from tackling Shonn Greene in the playoffs).

We took Cromartie at 1/19 and that's just about where he should have gone and where Ramsey should have gone in an ordinary draft. I think it is a fair argument to say that it would be reasonable for him to have gone a little higher in this year's draft because of the weakness of the draft class.

But the reality is that media pundits got caught up in Ramsey's athleticism and lost track of his weaknesses despite virtually all of them acknowledging them. They were/are just wrong in that respect. What good is a CB or S that can't make the big INT when that play is there to be made? In that way, Ramsey's athleticism is partially wasted.

So, as I have stated all along, Ramsey would not have been a good pick for us at 1/3.

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Whoa whoa whoa, there, Skippy...slow down!

Did you think I was questioning your position?

Why would I do that? All the pundits who put Ramsey as a top 3 pick did not have the double-secret
info you did, about Ramsey's hips and the number of INTs he had at FSU.
THAT's why you telling us this now is so meaningful. Surely, all those guys that had Ramsey at#1, #2 or #3
would have pushed him way down to #20 if only they'd known what you're saying now. Thanks again.

Why would I do that? All the pundits who put Ramsey as a top 3 pick did not have the double-secret
info you did, about Ramsey's hips and the number of INTs he had at FSU.
THAT's why you telling us this now is so meaningful. Surely, all those guys that had Ramsey at#1, #2 or #3
would have pushed him way down to #20 if only they'd known what you're saying now. Thanks again.

Just pointing out--in my friendly fashion --your repeated (but delightful!) assertions of how much
better you understand football than people who actually get paid for their opinions...it's charming...really!

Just pointing out--in my friendly fashion --your repeated (but delightful!) assertions of how much
better you understand football than people who actually get paid for their opinions...it's charming...really!

I already read posts #17, #20 & #22!

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Judging from what you written, the was already between your ears before you read any of my posts.

How is that you continue to fail to understand that the paid experts agree with me that Ramsey has some hip tightness and lacks good ball skills? The paid experts and I agree as to what we are seeing when we look at the player. So let's not act like the paid experts and I somehow are not seeing the exact same thing because we are.

The issue is regarding the significance attributed to the observed deficiencies.

My position is 1) that while virtually anything is possible, players with hip tightness and/or a degree of lack of agility do not suddenly become more agile such that they can be shutdown cover guys, 2) players that enter the NFL without good ball skills do not suddenly develop them, 3) absent being a shutdown cover guy and/or a generator of turnovers, a secondary player is not worth a top 5 overall draft pick, and 4) Ramsey's hip tightness indicates that he is not a shutdown cover guy and his lack of ball skills indicates that he is not a generator of turnovers; therefore he is not worthy of a top 5 overall draft pick.

Since the paid experts agree with me as to Ramsey's deficiencies, please explain to me why you believe Ramsey is worthy of a top 5 overall draft pick? Do you have anything other than "Joe Blow recognized expert says so"?